Improvement in boat-knees



D. TRUE. Boat-Knee.

No. 2O,632. Y Patented Feb. 26,1878.

- mmm WITNESSEE i l A By /ZL'S UNITED STATES PATENT OEEIcE.

DAvID TRUE, 0E SALISBUEY, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BOAT-KNEES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 200,632, dated February26,1878; application filed January 14, 1878. i

To all whom it Imay] concern:

Be it known that I, DAVID TRUE, of Salisbury, in the county of EssexandState of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful Improvement inBoat-Knees, which improvement is fully set forth in the followingspeciiication and accompanying drawings, in which- Figure lis a sideelevation of a boat-knee embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is alongitudinal vertical section of the Same. In Figs. l and 2 theboat-knee to which my invention is applied is one of those knees whichare manufactured in two or more pieces, abutting against each other atthe bend or corner of the knee. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of what istermed a natural7 kneethat is, a knee which is taken from a piece ofwood which has grown into the bent shape of a boat-knee. The knee shownin this figure is a poor knee, it being cross-grained.

f Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The knees to which this improvement is applied are more particularlythose used in dories and similar craft.

In Figs. 1 and 2, a and b represent the two main portions of a kneeconstructed in two principal pieces, which meet at the bend in the knee.cis a longitudinal strip of wood placed upon the under side of the knee,and secured thereto by the dowels d d, or other suitable fasteningdevice, which pass entirely through the knee from top to bottom. Thisstrip extends, usually, the entire length of the knee, although that isnot absolutely necessary. It will be seen that there is ampleopportunity-the strip c being so long-'for the most thorough fasteningto the knee; and as there is no danger of the strip c working back andforth, the great strain to which it is subjected in the inward pressurewhich occurs in knees placed forward and aft in a dory can be wellsustained, as it consists always of a direct pull lengthwise upon thestrip. A strip which is extremely narrow possesses great strength inthis immovable position, and will stand great strain in a boat. Alongitudinal dowel, c, is usually placed within the knee, connecting thetwo parts a and b, and affording additional rmness. Thus all necessityfor metallic plates upon the sides or bottom is obviated, and a greatsaving eected, both in weight and expense.

In Fig. 3 a natural knee is shown, which, as is often the case, iscross-grained, and peculiarlyliable to split in such a place as thatindicated by .r x, when subjected to the inward strain incident to thebow or stern of a dory. By applying' the strip c, which bears theprimary strain, and the dowels d cl, which pass directly through thecross-grain, the knee, which would otherwise be worthless, is renderedgood and useful.

It will be seen that, in practice, the strip sustains the pull, whilethe main portion of the knee supplies the necessary body and stiffness.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is

A boat-knee to the bottom or under side of which is attached alongitudinal supplementtary strip of wood, said strip extending eachside of the bend or division in said knee, for the purpose set forth.

DAVID TRUE.

Witnesses:

HENRY W. WILLIAMS, B. W. WILLIAMS.

